Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Old Lahaina Luau- where you can OD on Hawaiian fare

There were only two things I had to check off my list in Maui. Surf, and try a kahlua pig and poi. As such, attending a luau was necessary. After some research, it seemed that Old Lahaina Luau had the most popular and traditional one. Not only does it offer a night of cultural performances and an extensive spread of Hawaiian cuisine, but it's also located ocean side so you'll get to catch the gorgeous sunset while dining.

When you walk in, you're welcomed with an Aloha and a fresh flower lei.

And a giant mai tai.

The event is open bar, with a special Tropical Fruit Punch menu.

I tried the Honey Girl (Vodka, Pineapple, Strawberry, Guava). It tasted good but was very sweet and more than one would definitely lead to a massive sugar hangover the next day.

The feast is served buffet style with an array of Hawaiian specialties. I was already eyeing the Laulau and poke.

We all gathered to watch the unearthing of the kahlua pig from the imu.

We were then led, in a very organized manner, to the buffet. With over 400 attendees, I thought it'd take forever for us to get to the food line, but everything seemed to move smoothly.

There was Kahlua Pig, Baked Mahi Mahi with Coconut Sauce, Pulehu Steak, Laulau (pork wrapped in taro leaf), Chicken Long Rice (the rice was actually vermicelli noodles), Local Fried Rice, Sweet Potato, Crab Salad, Octopus Poke, Ahi Poke, Taro Salad, Poi Rolls, Banana Bread, Poi and Fresh Fruits. You can return for seconds but I decided to pile up my plate with as much food as possible. And yes, I finished every last morsel on my plate. My favorite was the Octopus Poke, Crab Salad, Kahlua Pig and Papaya. Unfortunately, I didn't care for Poi, which is mashed Taro root. I thought it'd be similar to Teochew Yam Paste dessert, which I love, but poi is bland and lacked sugar, unlike the yam paste dessert.